Sometimes. Some insurers offer a discount for an alarm, some ask for one before they will cover a home with high-value contents, and some make no difference to the price at all. When it comes to a burglar alarm and home insurance, the detail matters more than the alarm itself.
What insurers usually ask
- Is the alarm professionally installed?
- Is the installer approved by SSAIB or NSI?
- Is it serviced every year?
- Is it monitored, or bell-only?
- Do you set it whenever the house is empty and at night?
Why approved installers matter
SSAIB and NSI are the two bodies that inspect alarm companies in the UK. An approved installer works to the British and European standards for intruder alarms and gives you a certificate for the system. Insurers recognise that certificate. Police response to a monitored alarm is also only available for systems fitted and maintained by an approved company.
The catch: alarm conditions
If you tell your insurer you have an alarm, it can become a condition of the policy. That means you need to use it and keep it maintained. If you are burgled while the alarm was not set, or it had not been serviced, a claim could be reduced or refused. Read the policy wording, and only declare an alarm you will use.
Will it save you money?
Any discount is usually small next to the cost of the system. The better reasons to fit an alarm are that homes with a visible alarm are less attractive to burglars, and that you find out straight away if something happens.
What to do
- Ask your insurer what they need before you buy.
- Choose an SSAIB or NSI approved installer and keep the certificate.
- Have the alarm serviced every year and keep the record.
- Tell your insurer if you change or remove the system.
OC Fire & Security is SSAIB certificated. Read about home intruder alarms, or see your price in 6 quick steps.